So I was at the Occupation of Wall Street on Saturday.

[Puregonzo1188]

I didn't stay the night, as I had other obligations (which oddly enough mostly centered around an essay on income inequality being due on Monday), but I was there from about noon Saturday to 8 at night.

I know there's been a lot of interest in the weekend's events on DU, and people wondering what happened or was happening, so I thought I'd put myself out there and answer any questions DUers had.

Ask away.

[kentuck]

1. How long do they plan on it continuing?

This is a threat to the establishment if it hinders Wall Street..

[Puregonzo1188]

5. I am not sure, the organizers seems intent for staying awhile, but I don't know how long the crowd

plans on staying.

Most people can't just pack up their lives and live on Wall Street indefinitely.

[RZM]

2. What would be your estimate on crowd size? n/t

[Puregonzo1188]

6. It grew and shrank continuously during the day. I'd say at its height over

a 1000.

[RKP5637]

3. Just asking, is there enough of a momentum there to really impact

wall street at all. Most of them will probably just thumb their nose and continue on. Money is what impacts wall street and I might be naive, but I don't see how this will impact wall street, the really wealthy don't give a F about this IMO.

[Me.]

4. Is This Just The Beginning?

How seriously was this being taken and any reaction from Wall Street?

[Puregonzo1188]

7. Wall Street was entirely blocked off and I believe even the Wall Street metro station

was closed (at least partially). At various times during the day the police would randomly gather en masse and stand single file around the park, then leave.

This was obviously meant to intimidate, but the police presence in general was huge.

That being said even during the demonstration's height I don't think there was enough people there to cause any significant trouble on Monday, even if they wanted to, but I may be wrong.

As scared as the police were, and as blocked off as Wall Street was (no one could enter without proof of residency or as having worked there) that could be a pretty huge inconvenience come Monday morning to our friends at the Stock Exchange.

That being said I believe only about 300 people slept in the park over night and I am wondering if the police will try to clear them all out before the big day on Monday.

[Me.]

8. Thank You

Good for those who attended

[sarcasmo]

10. If it gets bigger it wouldn't surprise me if they shut down cell communication.

[izquierdista]

9. Is anyone informing the cops?

That if the whole system comes crashing down (like the WTC did), they are supposed to just die and their families are supposed to quit whining? None of those people inside the buildings care about the cops themselves, but they would like to manage* their pension fund.

It was when Tsar Nicholas' guards wised up and quit that the Russian Revolution was a done deal.



*manage = churn it for commissions